England is so beautiful in summer! I know people are envious of Australian summers, but they are nowhere near as pretty as yours! And those monkeys are looking great!
Pattern: Francis Revisited Yarn: Rowan Summer Tweed, Puff, 9.5 balls Needles: 6mm Harmony Circulars, a couple of lengths Started: 27 March 2009 Finished: 20 May 2009 Modifications: Row gauge was off so I moved the shaping rows around. I added three extra increase rounds to make the cowl neck bigger to match the larger size and try and ensure that I got the same look as the original, if I did this again I'd make it bigger still. I think its common in patterns that the collar or neck is not any larger on larger sizes and can look a bit small when it's balanced against a larger size than the sample. Very definitely my best jumper yet. It's true that there aren't many competitors in the race as I've only finished five fitted garments each of which has its issues: there's the vest that doesn't have the most flattering neckline Flair with her insufficiently double-breasted front and irritating length sleeves, Mum's cabled cardigan that was a pain in the creat...
I blame the yarn fumes. I wasn't going to buy any yarn in January - not a diet but a rational thought that maybe this year I would try and knit up more than I would buy. It soon became clear that depriving myself of yarn in gloomy January when I wasn't feeling well was about the most irrational thing I could do. So when I saw some hand dyed sock yarn called Sea Spray from an ebay seller based in Cornwall I had to have it :o) Then I saw that Get Knitted has the Knitpicks Harmony DPNs set so I just cruised on over there for a peek and managed to talk myself down from the full six pack to just trying one pack - ooh just look at them. I got the 2.25mm size as someone who shall remain nameless (but who has been wearing a nice scarf of late) sat his great bottom on my set of 2.25 sock needles and snappyed one. I think I may love these more than the Brittany's. Though the proof will be in the using - the Harmony's are ahead at the moment as they're longer, more colourfu...
At the end of January I had the pleasure of taking a learn to crochet course at The Makery in Bath taught by the very patient and adept Rosee Woodland . Here is my first ever piece of crochet. Hard won over an hour or so. Rather tight and twisty. I thought it would be, as that aptly describes my first pieces of knitting. The focus and anxiety to get it right flow through my hands and translate into tightly wound stitches. I seem less patient with myself than I was when I learnt to knit as if somehow because I can do the one I should be able to do the other. I was no natural knitter but because it it flows now I think other crafts should feel the same. That belief certainly sabotaged my attempts to learn from a book which worked for me with knitting; with crochet I felt like I should be able to skip through that beginning section and get straight into the 'real' stuff and when I couldn't get it easily I didn't want to persevere. So I was delighted to see details of ...
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And those monkeys are looking great!